How do international developments affect Switzerland?
Medicine shapes our lives – competition determines where.
Medical progress does not happen in a vacuum. The framework conditions for research and innovation are changing worldwide. Countries are investing strategically, creating better conditions and attracting companies. Switzerland is in global competition for investment, talent and innovation – and must actively safeguard its position.
Investment decisions
Investment follows the best framework conditions
Decisions on research, production and market launch are made globally. Attractive framework conditions determine where innovation takes place.
Companies make their investment decisions globally and increasingly compare locations with one another. For new company locations or investments at a site, political stability is an important decision factor in choosing a location. Decisions on research, production and market launch by international pharmaceutical companies are made globally.
MFN (Most-Favored-Nation pricing)
International pricing rules influence access
International pricing regulations increasingly influence when and under what conditions new medicines are available in individual markets. For smaller markets such as Switzerland, this can have direct implications for access to innovation.
MFN pricing is based on international reference prices. Prices in selected countries serve as a benchmark.
MFN models carry the risk of affecting not only the pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland, but also patients, insurers and the overall economy.
Location attractiveness
Switzerland is losing its locational strength
A location’s attractiveness determines whether investment, research and innovation remain in the country in the long term. Geopolitical uncertainty, regulatory complexity and rising costs are putting Switzerland’s competitiveness under pressure – making stable and competitive framework conditions all the more crucial.
Growing geopolitical uncertainty, uncertainty surrounding the bilateral agreements with the EU, and rising bureaucracy and regulatory costs are jeopardising Switzerland’s competitiveness.
The future of Switzerland as a location is not a given.
Without competitive framework conditions, Switzerland will lose investment,
innovative capacity – and, in the long term, its economic strength.